Section 5. In determining the financial eligibility of an applicant for WIC benefits, only such income as is available for the support and maintenance of the applicant shall be counted.

A monthly food package shall be provided to each participant and shall be prescribed by a competent professional authority at the local WIC program based solely on the participant’s dietary needs. Such competent professional authorities shall be allowed to choose from the full range of types and amounts of food authorized by federal rules in developing food packages for program participants.

Each local WIC agency shall, in accordance with guidelines set forth in the state plan, mail or otherwise deliver food instruments to an individual on the basis of difficulties of the participant and his or her proxy in obtaining the food instruments, for reasons such as illness, imminent childbirth, or difficulty of access to the local agency.

All participants shall receive a written statement of their rights and obligations as participants, including all of the rights and obligations set forth in this chapter, at the time they are certified, and such statement shall be written in language calculated to be understood by the average participant.